Port Arthur woman allegedly made 17 calls to 9-1-1, offered thousands to avoid arrest (TX)

A Port Arthur woman has been charged with bribery after allegedly making 17 calls to 9-1-1 before offering officers thousands of dollars not to take her to jail.

Gloria Mae Cole, 42, was indicted Wednesday by a Jefferson County grand jury on the second-degree felony charge.

According to court documents, Cole made two silent calls April 17 to 9-1-1. Upon police arrival, Cole told officers with the Port Arthur Police Department that her phone was broken and wouldn’t stop dialing 9-1-1… READ MORE

Heroes in headsets: The job of a 9-1-1 dispatcher is more than answering phones (AL)

When people think about dispatchers, they often only think of them as the person who will get first responders on the scene of whatever their situation is at the moment. they don’t realize that these men and women are really the first responders to any crisis and serve as the eyes and ears of almost every emergency.

“Words cannot explain what out 9-1-1 center means to me,” Chambers County Sheriff’s Office Maj. TJ Wood said. “My 21 years of being attached, you, through them and working with those dispatchers and administration out there, really a lot of times, it’s probably been because of them that I’ve went home.” … READ MORE

Gov. Beshear plans historic investment to improve public safety (KY)

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WBKO) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear unveiled part of his upcoming budget plan, which he said makes historic investments in law enforcement so the commonwealth can be a leader in improving public safety.

The Governor’s two-year budget plan provides millions of dollars to fund competitive salaries for Kentucky State Police (KSP) troopers, officers, and telecommunicators, supply recording devices for KSP sworn troopers, and increase the peace officer training stipend. The Governor also reiterated the need for lawmakers to use up to $400 million in federal aid to provide a monetary “hero bonus” to those who have worked on the front lines throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which he said should include the state’s law enforcement community… READ MORE

After years of debate, Oconomowoc will disband its local dispatch service (WI)

The issue of dispatch services in the city of Oconomowoc has been a topic of discussion for years, and now officials have decided to disband the local dispatch center at its public safety building in favor of a countywide option.

At an Oct. 19 meeting, the Oconomowoc Common Council voted 6-2 to transfer dispatch operations to the Waukesha County Communications Center. According to the motion, the transfer could be completed within six months or less, but an exact timetable was not set… READ MORE